HOCKEY

HOCKEY; Albelin Knows the Value of Numbers

By ALEX YANNIS,

Published: January 26, 1992

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Jan. 25—
Tommy Albelin's arithmetic has made him accept his situation with the Devils. The Swedish defenseman looks around the team's dressing room and counts six solid defensemen before he counts himself.

The 27-year-old Albelin, in his fourth season with the Devils, is the seventh defenseman on a team that may very well have the best first six defensemen in the National Hockey League.

After playing his sixth game of the season in Friday night's 5-2 triumph over the Capitals in place of Slava Fetisov, who started a five-game league suspension, Albelin is beginning to make it look as if the Devils have the best seven defensemen in the league. Fitting In

Fetisov is having his most inspiring season since he arrived from Russia three years ago, but the Devils were hardly hurt by his absence Friday night because Albelin filled in as Aleksei Kasatonov's partner on defense with a creditable performance.

Albelin had worked hard and waited patiently for his chance as Coach Tom McVie played the same six defensemen for the first 29 games of the season. His chance came Dec. 13 when Kasatonov was forced to sit out three games because of hemorrhoids.

Albelin took Kasatonov's place alongside Fetisov for the three games and played alongside Ken Daneyko when Bruce Driver missed two games with a stomach virus. The other defensive pairing of Scott Stevens and Eric Weinrich has remained intact in 45 games and is to remain so for tonight's encounter here against Detroit. Patient Approach

"Realistically, I look around the room and I see what we have," Albelin said when asked whether he had complained to the coaching staff about his lack of playing time. "The important thing is the team is winning and you don't want to do anything to hurt the chemistry. I work hard and wait for my chances,"

Fetisov's five-game suspension for accidentally catching Mario Lemieux in the face with his stick Jan. 2 has been the best chance thus far in the season for Albelin. Knowing that he will play at least five games puts him in a more comfortable frame of mind.

"You look over your shoulder, afraid to make a mistake, when you don't know if you'll play the next game," Albelin said.

"It helps knowing that I'll be in there for a series of games," he said before the game with the Red Wings (27-14-6).

The Devils' triumph at Capital Centre on Friday night put them eight games over .500 (23-15-7) for the first time in the history of the franchise. It came on a solid all-around effort by the Devils, who had only 4 victories in 33 previous visits to Capital Centre.

McVie said the Devils had put behind them all the tradition of losing at Capital Centre. He said he didn't want to hear anything negative from his players about not winning away from New Jersey against the Capitals. Charting the Course

"We played a darn good hockey game tonight, that's what we did," McVie said after the triumph. "I haven't seen our club with so much power and strength in the first period."

The Russian connection of Valery Zelepukin and Aleksandr Semak put the Devils on the right path, scoring the team's first three goals, two by Zelepukin, the immensely talented left wing, who also assisted on Claude Lemiuex's 29th goal of the season.

Stephane Richer had the fifth goal for the Devils late in the second before the Capitals saved some face in the third on goals by Dale Hunter and Dmitri Khristich.